


Vestiges

by giggleangel11



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Blood Sharing, Crossover, Dark!Bonnie, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Multi, Slow Burn, Walkers, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2019-09-29 07:33:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17199248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giggleangel11/pseuds/giggleangel11
Summary: The zombie virus has begun to spread and Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes have been separated from the rest of the Scooby gang. As they travel away from their abandoned hometown, they cross paths with both new and familiar faces in Alexandria. Once there, they realize that they share an enemy with the newly renown Rick Grimes. Can the civilians of Alexandria help to reunite the Scooby gang, or will their enemies take hold of this new world?*Tags/relationships will be updated as the story progresses.** The rating may also change once things start getting heated. I’ll make a note if/when that happens





	1. Remains

**Author's Note:**

> I have a few chapters already written, but a lot of this plot might end up being as much of a surprise to me as it is to you all. 
> 
> *Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, except for my original characters. Everyone else is the property of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” or CW’s “The Vampire Diaries”

Bonnie's alarm chimes as she lies awake. She presses the button to quiet the device, pulls her curls back into a ponytail, and rolls into her daily routine. Once dressed, she makes her way down the stairs of her Grams’ house and is nearly bombarded by the severity of the silence. The stillness is deafening as she notices that even the floorboards seem muffled. Nevertheless, she slings her backpack over her shoulder, steps outside, and starts to run.

  
She paces herself for the extended distance and is greeted by the sight of her garden patches that continue to thrive throughout the otherwise barren town. The sound of her shoes hitting the familiar pavement of the neighborhood amidst the drastically altered scenery steadies her. She hops over the makeshift barricades forged from abandoned cars, and dodges the decaying remains of humanity as she monitors her breathing. This is Mystic Falls now: broken, bloodied, and littered with burnt memories. She's conditioned her brain to accept the new reality that's fallen over her hometown.

  
While similar to the 1994 prison world, this world seems lonelier to Bonnie. Somehow less realistic than a place where one day repeats for an eternity. When she made her escape then, her friends had hoped to have a chance to explain the progression of the virus to her, but reality had found her before her friends had.

  
Bonnie makes a sharp turn off of the main road and into the woods. After a few yards, she reaches her favorite tree and stops at a large boulder. Setting her backpack down, Bonnie pulls out her Grams' grimoire and the pieces of her M24. With her ears privy to the minor sounds around her, Bonnie deftly twists and snaps the components of the rifle into place until the weapon is whole in her hands. She positions the gun on the boulder and waits. The sun is still on the verge of waking, leaving her with just enough light to see her hand in front of her face when she hears it.

  
The walking mass appears about 50 yards away, and Bonnie can't help but to wince at the thought that these creatures just happen to be a bit deader than the undead individuals that she knows and loves. It doesn’t take long for it to walk into range. Bonnie calmly turns the pages of the grimoire to find the incantation. Her fingers skim over the words as her lips speak them into existence. As the magic drifts from the tips of her fingers, the creature stutters. She steadies her breathing. The thing seems to hit an invisible wall as its torso freezes, but its limbs continue to strain forward. As the spell continues to emit from Bonnie, the creature goes entirely rigid. That's Bonnie’s cue.

  
Her eyebrows furrow under the slight strain of maintaining the spell while still lining up her shot.

  
She holds her breath. The first shot misses, hitting it in the thigh. It roars in gargled frustration. The second shot hit its neck, nearly severing it. The third hits it square in the temporal lobe leaving it silent and suspended.

  
Bonnie would have to do better.

  
She remembers the day that she escaped the prison world. The blinding light. The first corpse, and then the second. The relief that flooded her when she vaulted into Damon's arms.

  
She stops there. She always stops there. He's gone now, and she has to act like it.  
Her walkie-talkie crackles to life in her bag, liberating her from the path that her thoughts were headed. She's just proud of herself for not flinching at the sound this time. Caroline's worried voice calls her name twice before Bonnie can dig it out.

  
"Do we really have to do this every morning? You know where I am, Caroline."

  
"Maybe I wouldn't have to worry if you would just sleep in like a normal person instead of going all sunset zombie hunter every day. Why don't you take a day off? Let's go on a drive. We haven't scouted in a while."

  
"That's because there's nothing around for miles. You know that just as well as I--" Bonnie sets the walkie down and listens.

The trees shiver as something collides with them. Going against her nature, Caroline remains silent on the other end. Bonnie hears the solid thump of shoes on grass just moments before a zombie bursts through the leaves and sprints towards her. Bonnie reflexively throws up a barrier that the creature immediately begins to pound. This zombie is bigger than usual, and less decayed, almost new. That observation alone makes her stomach turn as Bonnie brushes herself off and stands. With a quick flick of her hand, Bonnie's magic cuts through flesh and bone, and the head falls from the body in a way that's reminiscent of an anime cartoon.

  
Caroline appears just as the zombie drops to the ground. "Well...glad to see that you're okay. Have you always been able to decapitate people, or is that a new trick?" she asks with her arms crossed over her chest.

  
"I've been practicing," Bonnie says simply. "You know, I think I would like to go on that drive."

  
Caroline smiled. "Finally! I'm really starting to hate this town."

  
"You've hated this town since middle school.”

  
"True. Very true."

 

After packing their supplies, the ladies throw everything into the back of Bonnie's Prius and head out, taking the path that they'd cleared weeks ago.

  
"You know what we should do while we're out?" Bonnie asks.

  
Caroline looks over with a thermos to her lips. She licks away the red tint on her teeth before she speaks. "What's that?"

  
"We should find one of those souped-up, eco-friendly Teslas."

  
Caroline gasps. "Is it finally time to get rid of this blue monstrosity?"

  
"What? This car literally saved lives in high school! And I don’t want to 'get rid' of her. I just think it's time to add a new model to the garage in case this ole girl gives out for good. I mean, it’s not like we can just take make an appointment with a mechanic these days."

  
"Whatever you say, Bon. I think there's a Tesla shop near the mall two cities over."

  
Bonnie groans. "I never thought that I could hate malls as much as I do now."

  
"I don't know why you're complaining. This will give you the chance to scratch that itchy trigger finger. We might even be able to find an ice cream machine!"

  
"Don't get my hopes up. I could cry at the thought of having a hot fudge sundae right about now."

  
Caroline rips open a bag of chips and grabs a handful before passing them off to Bonnie.

"Being stuck in this post-apocalyptic hellscape aside, this would make a really great reality show. Two killer women on the hunt for cars and ice cream. Heaven help anyone who stands in their way."

  
"If only the world would've ended after we made our big TV debut. It's a real shame," Bonnie quipped.

  
"You will not rain on my parade, Bonnie Bennett. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. And you've already rid our little town of two more zombies this morning. Perfect way to start the day."

  
"And on that note--" Bonnie turns up the music and speeds down the back roads. When Bonnie and Caroline arrive at the mall, they're not surprised to find a swarm of zombies near the front entrance.

  
"How do you want to play this today?" Caroline asks. "Front door or stealth entrance?  
Without hesitation, Bonnie rolls down the windows and turns the stereo up as loud as it will go. "I was thinking right up the middle today."

  
The ladies give each other a quick nod before stepping out of the car in perfect synchronicity. Bonnie mumbles her spell from earlier, and the zombies on the front line instantly freeze, allowing Caroline to decapitate them, one after the other, in a blur. Once the front line is down, Caroline flashes over to Bonnie so that she can magically clear out the rest.

  
With an exaggerated grunt, Caroline slings the blood from her hands onto the asphalt.  
"Oh, gross! I didn't think that through. Next time you can just witch it up for all of them. My nails are ruined!"

  
"Maybe we can find a nail shop in there...and a hair salon."

  
"What?" Caroline runs to the side of the car and screams when she sees her reflection. Bonnie stifles a laugh as Caroline pulls a severed ear from her once-perfect curls.

  
"Screw the salon. I need a full spa STAT!”

  
Pulling her gun out of the back seat, Bonnie sets the strap along her shoulder and leads the way inside with a grumbling Caroline close behind. Bonnie pulls her blade out and taps the handle against the doorframe. Bonnie looks back at her best friend.

  
“I don’t hear anything,” Caroline responds to Bonnie’s silent question after a few seconds.

  
“Good. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  
“If we don’t find an ice cream machine, I’m definitely burning this place to the ground.”

  
The pair trek quietly through the deserted halls, ready to pounce at the smallest hint of movement. They find the food court first.

  
“This is about 80 times creepier than I expected. Is it weird that I’m more worried about finding rats than more zombies?” Caroline asks.

  
“No. I was just thinking the same thing.”

  
They both shiver but tread on.

  
"Do you think any of these restaurants existed outside of malls?" Caroline asks quietly as they hop over the counter of the closest shop. They turn on their flashlights.

  
"I doubt it. Setting up shop in malls is—was –probably cheaper, but still super profitable. Why worry about running a whole building when you can just open a stand in every mall on the east coast?"

  
Bonnie and Caroline step lightly over ravaged pasta shells and what looks to be either blood, or marinara sauce. Bonnie stops at the industrial-sized kitchen sink.

  
"Moment of truth," Bonnie says before turning the handle. The pipes rattle to life, but water soon pours through, brown before running clear. "Want to at least wash the guts off before we move on?"

  
Caroline sighs. "Yeah. It's no spa, but at least I can get rid of most of the death stench."

  
Bonnie continues to survey the area once Caroline's head is under the faucet. She picks at the leather bracelet around her wrist to stave off the growing sense of dread that threatens to pull her under. There's nothing here worth scavenging, and any remaining food has likely either spoiled or was cleared out weeks ago.

  
Bonnie misses her gardens. She'd started the garden behind the Salvatore mansion as a way to reconnect with her magic, but once the outbreak began to consume Mystic Falls, she started another one behind her Grams' house, and another one where the Gilbert house used to stand, and another outside of the cemetery where Liz was buried. Before long, little sanctuaries that never seemed to run empty had sprouted along every corner. The few individuals that remained didn't question the miracle, and Bonnie didn't reveal her secret. She was just grateful to have a hobby and a sense of purpose.

  
"Hey, Bon." Bonnie jolts at the sound of Caroline's voice.

  
"Yeah, Care?"

  
"We're not going to find anything here, are we?" Caroline asks while wrapping her hair in the towel.

  
"No. I don't think so."

  
"Well, at least we haven't run into any rats."

  
They head back to the front of the restaurant and hop over the counter.

  
"Don't jinx us."

  
They continue on idly, acknowledging demolished mannequins and the ransacked lunar mini-golf course until Bonnie freezes in the middle of the hall suddenly. Caroline turns back to her.

  
"What's wrong?" Caroline asks.

  
"I don't know. I just feel something. It's like this buzzing in the back of my brain. You really don't hear anything?"

  
"Nothing."

  
Bonnie lets down her guard and allows the magic to guide her.

  
Caroline stays alert behind her. "What does it feel like?" she murmurs.

  
"It's like," Bonnie struggles to find the right phrasing, "on TV when people search for gold and they use those detector things. That sound that the machine makes, that crackling beep, that's what it sounds like in my head right now.

  
They find themselves in the midst of an eerie movie theater. Trampled velvet ropes and old popcorn kernels litter the floor. Caroline steps around the shattered plexiglass that surrounds the ticket booth while Bonnie steps right through the mess. She's on autopilot now, completely consumed by the sensation.

  
Bonnie stops in front of one of the auditorium doors, but before she can reach for the handle, a woman opens it and stares directly at Bonnie.

  
"Well...aren't you interesting," the woman breathes. She holds her hand out to Bonnie with a smile.

  
In a crop top and leggings, the woman isn't much taller than Bonnie, and Bonnie can only describe her figure as a pleasant medium between plump and fit. Bonnie accepts her hand and instantly feels that she can be trusted as wind whips around both of them in the windowless space, jostling the popcorn on the floor. Everything drops when they let go.

  
"Bonnie Bennett," Bonnie says calmly before pointing at Caroline and her confused expression, "and this is Caroline Forbes."

  
"You must be Lucy's cousin! It's an absolute pleasure."

  
"I am. When did you meet Lucy?"

  
"I think it's been about a month or so. It wasn't too long after all of this started. I was in New York at the time. My name's Sadie, by the way. Sadie Winchester." She reaches her hand out to Caroline more hesitantly. Bonnie notices the way that she flinches when Caroline shakes her hand and she appreciates how Sadie refrains from yanking it away when she feels the chill that Bonnie has experienced so many times before.

  
"I'm guessing you're a witch?" Caroline asks.

  
"That I am.”

  
Bonnie recognizes the smell of sage and points it out to Caroline when she spots the burning stalk lying on the floor near the door. "That's why you couldn't hear her."

  
"Sage," Sadie says. "A witch's best friend when every little sound draws walkers."  
"Walkers?"  
"That's what this group that I met refers to the 'Thriller' rejects as. It grew on me."

  
"Are you still with that group?" Caroline asks cautiously.

  
"Not really. We ran into a skirmish a few weeks ago and got separated. I didn't have anything that belonged to any of them, so I haven't been able to do a locator spell."

  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Bonnie says genuinely.

  
"It's not too bad. You two are welcome to come in. I may not be able to do the whole _Colors_ _of_ _the_ _Wind_ trick with you, vampire, but a friend of a Bennett is a friend of mine."

  
"Thanks, I guess," Caroline says as she and Bonnie follow Sadie into the lit theater. Caroline stops in the aisle as something catches her attention.

  
"What's wrong?" Bonnie asks with her magic locked and loaded. Sadie isn't surprised or concerned as she returns to her seat and grabs her popcorn.

  
"Are you alone here?" Caroline whispers.

  
"Nope. I met this guy after the skirmish that I mentioned earlier. He's a vamp, too. I'm guessing that's what's got your panties all in a knot?"

  
"Not exactly." Caroline looks over at Bonnie just as she spots a leather jacket splayed on the back of one of the seats. Bonnie walks over to it slowly, not prepared to believe the impossible. But when she touches it, she knows.

  
The door opens suddenly, and the air rushes out of the room. Bonnie's blood pools in her ears when she sees those blue eyes.

  
"Damon," she breathes.

  
He seems just as shocked as they are. "Hey, Bon B--"

  
Bonnie shoots her magic at him full force sending him crashing through the door and the wall behind him.


	2. Backlash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the first chapter that features flashbacks. I wanted to include them because they reminded me of the older seasons of The Walking Dead. Feel free to let me know if they're confusing. They're going to be a fairly consistent element in this story, so I want to know if they actually help or harm the narrative. 
> 
> Thanks so much for the hits and comments, folks! This is my 2nd fic ever, and my first one for both of theses fandoms, so I was super nervous about posting this one! I really appreciate all of the feedback.

_When Bonnie Bennett_ _escaped the prison world and_ _returned to the land of the living, the first person that she_ _sought out_ _was Damon Salvatore. She_ _soared_ _into his arms. He held her so tight that she couldn't breathe, but she didn't care. She was home._

_"I'm guessing you found my note," he said as he set her back on her feet. A part of him still didn't believe that she was real. He held her face protectively, looking her over for damage._

_"Yeah," she said_ _through her tears._ _"It's a miracle I could read it. Your handwriting sucks."_

_They both laughed, still too_ _stunned_ _to figure out what to do next. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and whispered, "I've missed you, Bon."_

_Bonnie gripped his wrists and pulled his hands from her face gently. "There's something I need to show you."_

_Damon poked the fire while Bonnie rewound the footage. He sat as close to her as possible. A part of him believed that if he didn't touch her, she would vanish...the way that she did in his nightmares._

_"I recorded this in the woods when I made it back. A pi_ _t_ _full_ _of dead bodies just sitting in the forest. What could've done that?"_

_Damon took the camera from Bonnie's hands and set it down. "I should probably get those pancakes started. It's a bit of a long story."_   


* * *

 

Bonnie stands over Damon as he coughs from the plaster and wood that rests on top of him. Caroline walks over to them, still trying to process what just happened. Sadie drops her popcorn and runs to intervene. 

Bonnie is prepared to send another blast his way when Sadie's magic pulls her back. "Woah, woah!" Sadie yells, standing between Bonnie and Damon. He stands and dusts himself off. His expression would be hard to process for most people, but Bonnie recognizes the guilt behind those widened blue eyes instantly. "I'm assuming that you two know each other, but could we possibly chat in the sound-proof room so that we don't attract any unwanted company?"

"Fine." Bonnie stomps back into the theater through the Damon-shaped hole that she just created. Caroline eyes her warily as Bonnie’s rage simmers, barely contained. 

Bonnie shoots daggers at Damon from where he leans against the intact wall adjacent to the wreckage. 

He tilts his head to the side as something catches his attention. "There's about ten, or so, in the hall. Think you can add a little extra blockage here?"

"Yeah," Sadie and Bonnie both say. The tension is palpable. 

Bonnie pinches the bridge of her nose and turns to Sadie. "Sorry. This is your space. Have at it."

Sadie only nods before building an invisible wall along what's left of the door and the space around it. 

"Where's Elena?" Caroline's voice is low, but Bonnie still flinches. She'd nearly forgotten that she was there while trying to quell the brewing tempest. Bonnie notices that Damon's eyes have fallen to her hands. It's only then that she realizes that she's been clenching and unclenching them. She looks away from him, and her magic breathes. 

"Elena's dead," Damon says simply. 

The lights flicker. Some of the bulbs burst. Bonnie pushes off of the chair. Sadie's hand is out, ready to stop her. A part of Bonnie wishes she would try. "What did you just say?"

"That's not funny, Damon," Caroline breathes. 

Damon's face is blank. Bonnie and Caroline both know that look. The look of no humanity. "She's dead. She has been for weeks." He wipes the remaining dust from his shirt nonchalantly. "It's for the best. Human Elena wasn't exactly built for a zombie apocalypse."

This time Caroline is the one who attacks. Damon is on the ground and bleeding before Bonnie can blink. Sadie begins to speak an incantation, but then her hands fly to her throat. She wheezes, silenced, and turns to Bonnie whose hand is raised in Sadie’s direction while her eyes are solely on the beaten Salvatore. 

"Stop!" Bonnie calls out. 

Caroline lands one more blow to Damon's face before she turns back to look at the only living best friend that she has left. The pain in Caroline's expression is enough to make Bonnie release her hold on Sadie, but she doesn't cry. She can't. Not now. 

"You were supposed to protect her!" Caroline screams in Damon's face. He watches her rage with a curious glint in his eyes, but otherwise doesn't respond. "You spent all these years treating her like some prize, like a trophy, just to let her die."

"I didn't _let_ her die. She got herself killed. That's kind of been her M.O. since the beginning, in case you both forgot. As amazing as I am, I can't do the impossible."

Bonnie holds onto the chair for support. "You should've stayed."

Damon refuses to look at her. "She was the one who wanted to leave. I didn't have much of a choice. If she would've just listened to me, she would still be alive. 

Caroline's fist is poised over Damon's face. "You could've stopped her. You guys had a dungeon in your basement, for crying out loud!"

Gun shots ring out in the distance. With a wave of her hand, Sadie turns out the lights. Caroline backs off of Damon so they can both stand. 

"If you two are done assaulting me, that's what I rushed back to warn Sadie about," Damon says, wiping the blood from his mouth. The wounds have already started to heal. "There are four humans, but that's all that I know. If you're planning on sticking around for a bit, Thelma and Louise, be my guest, but you should probably know that we've run into a few hunters with Vervain bullets over the last few days. It's not just zombie hunting season anymore."

"For all we know, these could just be more scared humans," Caroline counters.

"It's baffling that you of all people wouldn't be a _little_ bit more skeptical of 'scared humans.' Remind me, Blondie, how many times have you been kidnapped and tortured over the last few years?"

Bonnie speaks up before Caroline can retort. "That's enough. We don't have to kill them. Sadie already put up a shield. They're probably just scavenging for food. They’ll move on."

The gun shots continue. Screams follow close behind. 

"Sounds like they're not doing so great," Damon says. "You still cool with sitting this one out, Bon Bon?"

They both know that she’s not. With an exasperated sigh, Bonnie steps out of the room and towards the gunfire.   


* * *

 

_"Zombies? There are actual zombies in Mystic Falls?"_

_"Yup." Damon popped the "p" at the end. They were seated_ _across from each_ _at the dinner table._ _Despite the dire news, the familiar atmosphere warmed Bonnie better than any fire could._

_Bonnie pushed away her half-eaten pancakes and turned to Damon. "How long has this been going on? How long was I in there?" Damon looked down at his mug of blood. The memory of seeing Bonnie ready to take her own life_ _on her birthday_ _made his throat close up in a way that he wasn’t prepared to deal with._

_He ran his hand through his short hair and sighed. "It's a pretty recent development. They've been trickling up from Atlanta and spreading out. According to the news, Georgia's a bit of a wasteland right now, but they're trying to contain it."_

_"Okay. So what's the game plan? Do we stay and hold down the fort?"_

_Damon smiled. "Now that you're back, I guess we've got options. There's nothing really keeping us here anymore, but--" Damon cleared his throat and let his eyes travel over Bonnie's face. --"you should know, Bon. No one's heard from Jeremy."_

_Bonnie tilted her head to the side. "Is that weird? He_ _was supposed to go off to school, right?_ _Besides,_ _he's never really been great at communicating."_

_"Jeremy didn't exactly go to art school."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Damon leaned back, braced for the explosion._ _"He's been out hunting vampires..."_

_"He what?"_

_"Before you get mad_ _—“_

_“I’m already mad!”_

_“Okay. Before you get_ madder _,_ _he's been staying in touch with Alaric, and Tyler went with him."_

_"Shockingly, that doesn't make me feel any better about this," Bonnie said sitting back in her chair._

_"Alaric said that Jeremy's last check-in was about two weeks ago from somewhere near Shreveport, Louisiana. Apparently, Tyler wanted to meet with a pack out there."_

_"And it's been radio silence from them ever since?"_

_"Exactly."_

_"Maybe I can try a locator spell. I can--"_

_"Woah there,_ _Judgey_ _. You just got back. How about you give you and your magic a breather? Just for a night."_

_Bonnie jumped up, frantic. "I can't just sit here, Damon. What if they're in trouble? I have to--"_

_Damon_ _sped around the table and hel_ _d her hand_ _s in his_ _, towering over her. "Look, they've been just fine on their own for over a month. Liv tried to track Tyler down_ _a while back_ _, but nothing came up. We don't think he's dead. We just think that they're in some no-magic zone, so they'll be fine for one more night. I didn't tell you this so that you would worry. I told you because I figured you'd want to know. Now, you are going to go upstairs. You're going to find something_ _comfy_ _to wear in one of the infinite guest rooms that we have up there, and you're going to go to sleep. Got that?"_

_Bonnie's nose scrunched in defiance. "Fine. We'll figure something out in the morning._ _”_

_Damon sat on his bed while Bonnie showered in the guest room down the hall. He'd been alive for over a century, but_ _somehow_ _he'd never kicked his nail biting habit._ _E_ _ven as he gnawed his nail buds to dust, he couldn't bring himself to stop. At least, that is until Bonnie Bennett walked into his room in one of his t-shirts and a pair of_ _her favorite shorts_ _._ _He hadn’t even noticed that the shower had stopped._

_“So, whose idea was it to bring my stuff over from my dorm room?” she asked._

_Damon shrugged. “I thought that you might want a bit of quiet before diving into college life.”_

_She raised an eyebrow at him. “And you knew that I would head straight to my old room?”_

_“Well, you did pick the_ _second-best_ _room in this house in 1994. Only natural that you’d head back there once we got you back.”_

_Bonnie pulled Mrs. Cuddles from behind her back. “Thank you for giving her back to me._ _It_ _feels good to have my own magic back.”_

_Damon watched as Bonnie flexed her fingers. “Just returning her to her rightful owner. I know she missed you,” he said quietly._

_Bonnie stepped further into the room._ _"I can't sleep," she whispered. "Everything's so quiet...but not, you know?"_

_Damon smirked._ _"Bonnie, I thought I was clear. Our relationship only exists within the confines of 1994."_ _After a beat, he_ _pulled back the comforter, inviting her in. He laid on his back while Bonnie rested her head on his chest. They were quiet, at peace with each other_ _with Mrs. Cuddles between them_ _._

_"I've got to say," Bonnie mumbled as sleep began to pull her under. "I really appreciate the upgrades that you guys have made to this place since the 90's. That shower_ _wa_ _s amazing."_

_"I'm glad you like it. Now get some sleep," he whispered before planting a quick kiss to her forehead._

_They continued on like th_ _at_ _for a week. The gang was made aware of Bonnie's return, and she was happy about it, but as more people came to welcome her back, the more claustrophobic she felt._ _S_ _he was_ _also_ _hit with the reality of Liz's death and Caroline's no humanity streak all on her first day back. So, during the day, it was business as usual, but at night, Bonnie returned to the Salvatore mansion, and to Damon. That's where she felt at home, where she could feel_ real _._

_Until she woke up one morning and found a letter lying beside her instead of Damon._


	3. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie has been holding in an awful lot of rage over the past few months. This chapter is the tip of the iceberg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated in forever, so here's a slightly longer post.  
> And as always, thanks again for the hits, comments, and kudos! I really love hearing your thoughts :]

_Damon sat in the driver's seat of his car while Elena buckled her seat belt and pulled her hair up into a bun._  

_She reached over and stroked his hair. "Damon?" she whispered. "Do you think that we're doing the right thing? I mean, Bonnie just got back, and Caroline's still got her_ _humanity_ _switch_ _flipped_ _."_  

_"This is your call, Elena. Personally, I think that Jeremy and the mutt are fine."_  

_"I just don't understand why they wouldn't check in if they were. I can't even track Jeremy's phone."_  

_"He's a_ _n_ _irresponsible_ _teenager. He probably broke it."_  

_"I just want to know that he's okay, you know?"_  

_"Yeah, I get it. We'll go, chase some leads, and if we don't find them after a week, we come back._ _Capiche_ _?"_  

_She kissed his cheek and then turned his face to kiss his lips. Damon tried his best to respond, to be into it like he usually_ _was_ _. He hoped that she didn't notice. "_ _Capiche_ _. Thank you for doing this for me. If we don't find anything after a week, I'll drop it...for now."_  

_The_ _Whitmore_ _quad was deserted. The only sign of life came from the dimly lit windows of students who couldn't go home but had enough common sense to stay inside after dark. Elena had fought off vampires, werewolves, and death itself. Zombie_ _s_ _didn't bother her._  

_In fact, Damon noticed that a lot of things failed to bother her. Elena didn't think twice when Damon suggested that she sleep at the dorm in case Caroline decided to pop back up._ _Elena never questioned where Bonnie was when she wasn’t in their dorm room.  Elena didn't_ _seem to_ _know about his nightly sleepovers with Bonnie,_ _but_ _Damon knew that he should feel bad about it. His justification was that Bonnie needed him, and they never had sex, so it wasn’t cheating. If that was all there was to it, then he would just brush it off like he did with everything else. But he couldn't._  

_Maybe he needed this trip more than Elena did. Maybe this would be the alone_ _time_ _with Elena that he needed. After all, he did get the girl._

* * *

 

Bonnie finds the humans in the hallway near the food court—two men and a woman. “And to think, all of this for a car,” she mutters to herself.   

She finds the source of the scream. One of them has been swarmed. The others look on in horror, torn between wanting to run and wanting to try to save what’s left. The larger man cocks his handgun, but the other holds his hand out sadly. 

“Don’t. We have to save the ammo,” he says. 

Slicing the air in front of her with her hand, Bonnie watches as the walkers all drop at once. The people finally notice her and they clearly struggle to understand the connection. With tears in his eyes, the larger man decides that he isn’t interested in an explanation, and turns his gun on Bonnie.  

“Who are you?” he demands. 

“Bonnie. And you are?” 

“How did you do that? Do you have traps in here, or something?” 

Bonnie shrugs. “I’m a witch.”  

Bonnie doesn’t have the energy or patience to hide who she is. Besides, she’s proud of what she is.  

“That’s not funny, bitch. Get down on the ground.” The others follow his lead and aim their guns at Bonnie.  

Bonnie is disappointed. She moves closer. “So primitive.” 

“I said get down!” 

“Oh, I heard you. I just think it’s interesting. If I just watched someone do that—” Bonnie gestures to the pile of dead zombies (and their dead comrade). — “I certainly wouldn’t raise my voice at her. And I damn sure wouldn’t call her a bitch.” 

A shot rings out. Bonnie’s prepared to defend herself, but Damon’s already there. He stands in front of her with the bullet in his hand. 

“I guess they failed your test. But hey, at least we know that they don’t have vervain.” Damon turns just far enough for Bonnie to see the black veins pulse around his red-rimmed eyes and hands her the bullet nonchalantly. He leans down towards her, making sure that she’s still completely shielded. “Which means that there’s no reason to question them, and no reason to let them live.” 

“What the fuck,” the human woman murmurs, stunned. She starts to back away slowly. 

“Just compel them,” Bonnie says. “They don’t have to die.” 

Concern seeps into Damon’s expression. “He shot at you.” 

“Compel them, and then we need to talk.” 

Damon smiles so Bonnie can watch his fangs retract. “Yes ma’am.” 

Bonnie releases the breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as Damon steps away from her to approach them. She holds the three individuals still with her magic so that Damon can compel them one at a time. She can sense their terror.  

“Relax,” he says soothingly to the woman. “You lost your friend today, but she died fighting. You will forget that you saw me and the lovely lady behind me, and you will leave this place.” Bonnie releases her hold on the woman. She walks away, dazed. He moves on to the smaller man. “You watched your friend die today, and you did nothing to stop it all because you couldn’t spare one precious bullet. You hate yourself for this.” 

“Damon!” 

“You will forget that you saw me and the beautiful woman behind me, and you will leave here.” 

Bonnie releases both of the men. The larger man tries to run, but Damon appears before him while the other walks away, shaking with regret. Damon looks past the large man to Bonnie with a look that says ‘stand down now.’ She lowers her hands, and he smiles, showing the return of his fangs. 

“Don’t move. Don’t scream,” he says to the man. “Were you bit?” 

“I don’t think so,” he answers. 

“The woman who was just killed, who was she to you?” 

“She was the love of my life.” 

“Really now?” Damon asks in disbelief. “How long did you two know each other?” 

“A year and a half.” 

Damon scoffs and turns back to Bonnie. “Do you hear this, Bon? This grown man is crying over a woman that he’s known for _eighteen months_.” He pats the man’s shoulder. “Sorry to break it to you, buddy, but you don’t know love until you spend damn near a century waiting for an eclipse so that you can heroically rescue your lady. Or, when you spend over half a decade trying to win over your brother’s girl, who just so happens to look just like your lady love, only to come home one day and find her half-eaten by a bunch of those _things_.” 

Bonnie gasps, but Damon keeps going. “But, let me tell you, the real kicker is that we were together and actually happy, or at least, she seemed happy. I, however, came back from the dead –long story—and suddenly couldn’t figure out what was missing. I had the woman of my dreams. Sure, we were in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, but I’m immortal, so that shit didn’t faze me. This relationship stuff, on the other hand, made no sense! She was completely head over heels for me, and _man_ , the sex was phenomenal, but something didn’t _feel_ right. And then—” he turns the man around so that he’s facing Bonnie — “this gorgeous creature walks back into my life. Isn’t she beautiful, Steve? Is it okay if I call you, Steve?” 

“Yes.” 

“Right, so my best friend comes back, and suddenly, I don’t feel so empty, but I still feel wrong. Not to be overly sappy, but it was like one piece of my life puzzle had fallen back into place only for one of the snug corner pieces to get eaten by the neighbor's ugly cat, crippling the whole damn puzzle! And do you know what the ugly cat _is_ in this awkwardly lengthy metaphor, Steve? Or is it a simile?” 

"Zombies?" 

"What? No, guilt. I felt guilty, legitimately guilty, for the first time in ages. How could I have been happy when my best friend, my Bon Bon, was stuck in Prison World Limbo with some psychopath? I should've done more then, and I had a few missteps when she came back, like the whole Kai thing, but she put me on my ass for it, and I love her for that." 

Bonnie is genuinely stunned by Damon's monologue and the honesty that she sees in his bloodshot eyes, and the black veins that dance beneath them. Her fists clench by her sides as a torrent builds inside her.  

"But, then again," Damon continues, completely oblivious of Bonnie's growing discomfort, "maybe I’m not the right person to lecture you on what love is. It never really seems to work out for me. Maybe I’m just as clueless as you are, Steve-O.” Damon reflects on his epiphany for just a moment before lowering his voice to a deadly whisper. “Now, just so we’re clear, Stevie, I’m not a good man. I didn’t deserve any of the aforementioned women, even the first one, and to drive that point home, I’m going to rip your head off.” 

“No!” Bonnie bellows. Steve cries quietly. The compulsion won’t allow him to scream. 

“Don’t worry, Bon. We’ll all feel better afterwards. I would just drain him, but this new world blood is almost always contaminated. Plus, it just tastes awful. Now, let’s get this show—” 

Bonnie sends Damon soaring through the air, nearly pulling Steve with him. “Get out of here,” she says with a quiet rage. Steve doesn’t hesitate this time, and bolts after his comrades. Damon lands with a joltingly loud thud, and when he starts to run after his captives, Bonnie throws up a barrier as she moves toward him.  

"How dare you," she whispers. "How _fucking_ dare you!" 

Damon turns to Bonnie and snaps his arm back into its socket. He smiles endearingly at her. He's missed her fire, her passion. He's missed _her_. "What? Was the head ripping too cliché? Should I have gone for the good ole heart rip-out?" 

"What are you trying to accomplish here? What are you trying to prove? You spent so much time trying to be a better man for Elena, and now that she's gone you just throw it all away to go back to being the same old Damon?" 

Damon chuckles darkly. "A better man for Elena. The only way that I could've been a better man for her is if I became Stefan." 

"That's not true. She loved you." 

"Elena loved that I loved her! Meanwhile, I was just happy to have her attention for more than a minute. She wanted a family, kids, _humanity_. I thought that I could want that, too, but her death was one hell of a wake-up call. Domesticity was always Stefan's thing. I think I'd rather have the death and destruction." 

“Why are those the only options?” 

Damon holds his arms out wide. “Because that’s all there is, honey.” 

Cold realization settles over Bonnie. "Your Switch isn't flipped, is it?" 

Damon moves closer, reeling his fangs back in and holding his hands up in surrender. "I hate to break it to you, Bon, but the Switch isn't real." 

Magic pricks Bonnie's fingertips. "What are you talking about? Of course it is?" 

"Choosing to ignore the fact that your closest friends are murderers is part of what makes you so lovable, Bon Bon. Caroline is a prime example considering that she just came off of her Switch bender like a month ago.” 

“Not _a_ month, Damon. You’ve been gone for over three.”  

“Well, that’s interesting. Elena didn’t make it past the first week,” Damon muses flippantly.  

Bonnie grips her stomach as Damon stands just a breath away from her. She allows it.  

"Anyhow, each time I ‘flipped my humanity switch,’” he continues, “I was perfectly aware of every kill that I made, every heart that I ripped out, every neck that I snapped, and I felt _nothing_." He brushes the back of his fingers against Bonnie's neck, moving her fallen curls aside. He traces her pulse so, so gently. He smiles as her heart races, but then frowns earnestly. "Do you see why the guilt was such a shocker? I don't regret much in this life, but—" he takes a deep breath— "I do regret leaving you in that prison world." 

Taking a step back, Bonnie rams her fist right into Damon's nose with enough of a magical burst to make sure that he really feels it. His head jerks back violently as his own blood covers his face.  

"If you really cared, then why did you leave when I got back!" she screams at him, finally freeing her rage. Wind whips through the hallway once again as Damon snaps his nose back into place. 

"I had to," he says quietly as he wipes away the crimson.  

"Why? Because Elena _convinced_ you? Bullshit." Thunder roars so loudly that the ground shakes. "You knew how hard it was for me to adjust when I got back. You were the only one who got it, and you just left! And you couldn't even tell me to my face. Instead, you left a fucking letter! What was it, Damon? Was I not the right type of unstable for you? Was I too needy? Why did you just up and leave?" 

Bonnie trembles as the tears finally come. Damon resists the urge to comfort her. He looks away instead.  

"Bonnie—" he breathes.  

Sadie barrels out of the theater past Caroline with a bag over her shoulder. "Sorry to break all of this up, but we have to go. Now!" 

Bonnie wipes her eyes, completely startled. "What’s going on?" 

Sadie hands her a singed, crumpled sheet of paper. There's only one word on it: _Negan_. "Your cousin just sent me a message. If we leave now, we might be able to make it by sun down." 

"Wait," Caroline interjects. "Who's Negan?" 

Sadie offers Damon a vial filled with red liquid, but he declines. His eyes are glued to the floor. "You guys haven't run into the Saviors? How is that even possible? These guys are basically everywhere." 

Caroline rolls her eyes. "That didn't answer the question. What is this guy? Another witch?" 

"No. He's human, but he has all types of supernatural reinforcements. No one's been able to touch him, not really. Which is why we need to get out of here. Lucy's a badass on her own, but to have two Bennett witches on the same team, we could do damage." 

Bonnie sighs. "Look, I know that we don't know each other, but I've spent years being other people's weapon. I'm not interested in going back to that." 

Without missing a beat, Sadie says, "Lucy needs you. She's pregnant, and I'm guessing that you're all the family that she has left." 

**~**~**  

Bonnie lays her rifle in the posh, leather backseat of the shiny new Tesla, careful not to scratch the Merlot paint job. According to Sadie, this "Alexandria" has solar-powered everything, so the girls could at least be relieved by the fact that the trip for the fancy, eco-friendly contraption wasn't a total waste. If nothing else, Bonnie refused to leave the seemingly untouched showroom vehicle behind after all of this madness.  

Caroline waits until Damon and Sadie have pulled off in his classic Mustang before speaking. "This can't be real. Elena can't just be dead. Isn't there some best friend signal that's supposed to go off when one of us dies?" 

Bonnie smiles weakly at the quiet purr of the engine. This was what started all of this, after all. With her foot on the brake, Bonnie revs the engine briefly before pulling out of the parking lot. "I was dead for an entire summer, and the only person who knew was Jeremy." 

Caroline shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "Point taken. This just doesn't seem right. I mean, how long do you think she's really been—" 

"It doesn't matter. Elena left and there's no saving her this time. I can't— _we_ can't afford distractions right now. We have no idea of what we're about to jump into." 

Caroline nods in solemn agreement. "Do you really think Lucy sent that note?" 

"When touched the paper, I felt her. If I hadn't, we'd be heading right back to Mystic Falls right now." 

"With or without Damon?" 

Bonnie can't hide the tension in her shoulders. She keeps her eyes plastered to the road.  

"What's up with you two? I know that this is the first time that we've seen him in months, and he dropped the ultimate bombshell on us, but you've been different ever since Damon and Elena ran off. And why am I just now hearing about this note that he left for you?" 

"I didn't say anything about it because I didn't read it." 

"Do you still have it?" 

Bonnie is silent.  

Caroline measures her next words carefully and decides that they're worth the risk. "Don’t take this the wrong way, but...did something happen with you two in the prison world?" 

"Other than non-stop bickering, no. Kai can confirm," Bonnie says curtly.  

"Okay. It's just...when you got back, Damon was the first person you went to. You functioned without him, but it seemed like you could finally breathe whenever he would walk in the room. Obviously, Elena didn't think too much of it because she was just grateful to have you both back, but... have you honestly never noticed the way that he looks at you?"   

"What are you implying, Care?" 

"I don't think that Damon left with Elena to keep her happy. I think he left so that he wouldn't have to deal with his feelings for you." 

Bonnie slams on the brakes, nearly sending Caroline through the windshield. Stunned, Caroline straps on her seatbelt as Bonnie whips her head in her direction. 

"We just found out less than an hour ago that our best friend is dead, and now you're saying that I'm moving in on her man?" Bonnie asks in disbelief. 

"No. I'm saying that he's not so choked up about the death of his 'epic love' because he finally realized that he and Elena were on an unending, toxic relationship bender, and that he picked the worst possible time to realize who he's actually been in love with for the past year." 

"Damon is _not_ in love with me,” Bonnie whispers harshly. She looks back at Damon’s car. It’s stopped a few yards ahead. “At best, he tolerates me. And his Switch may not be flipped, but he's obviously having a hard time coping." 

"Wow," Caroline whispers. "I can't tell if you're in denial or just plain delusional." 

Bonnie jumps at the sound of the pounding on her window. She turns to see none other than the topic of their conversation outside of her door. Damon gestures for her to roll down the window.  

"Everything all right in here, ladies? Or did Bonnie realize that she doesn’t know how to handle this machine?" 

"We're fine. Leave," Bonnie hisses through clenched teeth. Surely he didn’t hear them, right? 

"Touchy. Just figured I'd check. Alexandria isn't far, so if you two could just hold it together for the next two hours, that'd be peachy." Damon turns to head back to his car and says over his shoulder, "Good luck with that, Blondie." 

Bonnie glares daggers at Caroline before putting the car back in drive. Bonnie turns up the music, but Caroline turns it back down. "I understand if you don't want to talk about your love life, but we should at least discuss the game plan for this mystery destination. What's our contingency plan? What if this Negan has already taken over?" 

"There's nothing to discuss. If he's touched my cousin, I'll kill him. Supernatural lackeys be damned." 

"When was the last time you saw Lucy? Did you two ever try to stay in touch after the whole Katherine thing?" 

"A little. Understandably, she went underground after setting Katherine up. She sent me a note when I came back from the dead the first time, I think. Apparently, she felt it when I died, but she couldn't risk coming to town. When I came back, she decided to reach out while she still had the chance. We didn't really stay in touch. We just sent the occasional 'Witch-Gram' over the few months that followed, and then I died again." 

"Well, death and a pregnancy are both pretty good reasons to drop off the grid, especially during a zombie apocalypse."  

"I'm just so fucking tired, Care. Jeremy, Tyler, Stefan, and now this. I just—I feel like I can't save anyone. And now Elena..." 

"None of this is on you," Caroline says firmly. "Elena's shitty decision-making was bound to catch up with her at some point. And it's not like the boys are dead. They're just cloaked. We'll find them."  

A smile is plastered on Caroline's face, but Bonnie knows that tone. She's just as heartbroken and uncertain as she is, but she doesn't push.  

Caroline hits the button to drop the roof. They both brace themselves for a very long trip. 


	4. Holes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang makes their way to Alexandria.

_Damon jolted awake in a cold sweat, something that he thought himself incapable of until his body proved otherwise. He didn't know where he was, or how he ended up on this mattress on the floor, but a blood bag greeted him as he surveyed the small room. Invaluable trinkets lined the shelves on the walls._

_"They can afford hundreds of dollars worth of old junk, but couldn't spring for a bed frame? Yeah, vampires definitely live here. Wait..." He looked around frantically. "Wasn't I with someone?"_   
_He strained to mentally retrace his steps, but he draws a blank. “Fuck. How much did I drink last night? Did I drink last night?”_

  
_Damon stepped back, braced for a fight, as the door opened suddenly. He stiffened instantly when he spotted his captor._   
_"Good morning, Damon," he said casually. "For once I can honestly say that I'm happy that I ran into you. You're going to run a few errands for me."_

  
_Damon's world went black as hands snapped his neck._

Bonnie and Caroline stare up at the giant metal fortress in front of them as they slow to a halt behind Damon's car. Vehicles with long, metal javelins protruding from them and impaled “Walkers” serve as the first line of defense against the undead. The two lean forward to read the sign on the front gate.

  
“Welcome to the Alexandria safe zone,” Bonnie reads.

“Mercy for the lost. Vengeance for the plunderers,” Caroline continues. “Well, that’s homey.”

"Honey, I'm home," Damon calls to the saucy-looking woman who appears in the outpost behind the barrier wall. She grips her rifle and aims it at the Tesla.

  
"It's bad enough that you actually survived, Damon, but did you have to go and bring strays back with you?"  
Caroline rolls down her window and leans out so that she can perch herself on the door with her elbows leaning on the hood. "Yeah, these strays have names, and we're not with him."

  
Sadie pops her head out and shouts, "Rosita, we don't have time for this. Lucy sent me a note. I found the other Bennett. Open up!"

  
Rosita lowers the gun as her eyes dart to Bonnie. "So, you're the chick that everyone's been talking about. I hope you were worth the resources." She gives the signal to open the gate.

  
Caroline watches Damon's reaction closely and listens in when he turns to Sadie. Bonnie pulls forward silently. Her magic prickles along her skin as her apprehension grows. Sliding back into the car gracefully, Caroline whispers, "He didn't know. Damon thought that they were just on a food run."

  
Bonnie sighs. "Well, they were looking for me and they found me. I guess we'll just see where this goes." Bonnie holds her pinky finger out to Caroline. "If you think that this looks too shady, we'll cut our losses and dip, agreed?"

"What about Lucy...and Damon?"

  
"We'll do what we can, but one thing that I've learned from my short time with Lucy is that she doesn't need anyone to save her. If she's here, it's because she wants to be."

  
Caroline nods solemnly and locks her pinky with Bonnie's. The girls kiss their fists, sealing the agreement, and look ahead towards the seemingly thriving community. Women, children, and men casually stroll, converse, and play throughout the neighborhood. Some even wave as Bonnie steers the car past them slowly.

  
"When was the last time we saw this many people in one place?" Bonnie asks, breathlessly. 

"Who knows. Mystic Falls was hit so hard so fast that it's hard to remember. But here...it's like the Apocalypse just skipped over this place."

  
"Yeah, and it seems conveniently not under attack right now."

Bonnie throws the car in park in the middle of the cul-de-sac as a woman with dreads, and what Bonnie believes to be a katana strapped onto her back, approaches them. Damon plants a kiss on the woman's cheek as Caroline and Bonnie climb out of their car.

  
“Michonne,” he greets affectionately with a tight hug. 

“Damon,” she says. Bonnie is momentarily stunned by the radiance and warmth of the woman’s smile and demeanor. How could someone like that possibly want anything to do with Damon, Bonnie wonders. “Did you find any of the good stuff?”

Looking around conspiratorially, he reaches back into his car and pulls a paper bag out of the glove compartment. “Only the best for you and the kids.”

  
With that luminescent smile, Michonne accepts the offering and checks inside. “This is why you’re my favorite. Carl’s going to love these!”

Sadie approaches them. “’Chonne, is Rick here? I got Lucy's message.”

Michonne’s expression instantly flips into one of complete seriousness. “No. He didn’t expect you to find them so quickly. He went on a run to check out the alarm that was triggered. It might not have been a Savior, but it feels like that’s all that’s left at this point.”

  
“You were in on this, too?” Damon asks, shocked.

  
Michonne scoffs at him. “Yes. And you would've been too if you ever bothered to attend any of the group debriefs." Michonne walks past Damon and over to Bonnie and Caroline. She extends her hand. Bonnie relaxes when her palm meets that of the Amazon standing before her. Bonnie knows that Michonne isn’t a witch, but her aura still buzzes through her. Bonnie is convinced that it doesn't take a witch to realize that she’s fierce but trustworthy. Caroline inconspicuously notes Bonnie's silent cue and accepts her hand as well.

  
"Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes, I presume?" Michonne asks.

  
"Yes," Bonnie says, "and if you don't mind me asking, how did you know where to find us?"

  
"Hey, cousin!" a voice calls. Bonnie looks past Michonne as a very pregnant Lucy Bennett strides toward them. Bonnie can't help but notice how graceful she is even with a bowling ball for a stomach. Lucy pulls Bonnie in for a hug and Bonnie is instantly rewarded with the lightest kick to her abs that she's ever experienced. Leaning away from her cousin in disbelief, Bonnie's eyes widen. Rolling her eyes, Lucy grabs Bonnie's hand and puts it on her swollen belly before Bonnie can object. Heat emits through her cousin's t-shirt as the baby kicks again.

  
"She knows that family's here," Lucy says proudly.

  
Bonnie is absolutely dumbstruck as her cousin's words sink in. "She?"

  
"Yeah. The doctor here says that it's a boy, but I know my kid."

  
Bonnie finally removes her hand from Lucy's stomach, but the warmth persists, rising and traveling through her. "You guys have a doctor here?"

  
"Yes," Michonne interjects, "but we can discuss that more later. We were just about to start setting up dinner. Damon, why don't you show them around Guest House 5 and help them get settled? Dinner will be ready in about half an hour. Hopefully Rick and Daryl will be back by then."

  
“Wait, if this Rick runs into Negan,” Bonnie starts, “how will we know?”

  
Michonne glances at Lucy before motioning to the leather band on her wrist. On it, a red stone rests on a small slab of metal.

“Since cell phones are non-existent and walkies have limited ranges, your cousin was kind enough to make these for Rick and I. If he’s in trouble, it’ll light up and show us the way.”

  
“I wish I would’ve known that trick a few months ago,” Bonnie murmurs. Damon looks away. Michonne notices.   
Lucy steps in. “Well, if you two would like to hang around for a while, you and I could certainly start a nice crash course in spellbinding.

  
Damon avoids the questions that Bonnie's expressions convey in the silent language that the two of them developed during their time in the Prison World, and goes to grab their bags. He stops when he spots the gun in the backseat. Taking it out, he hands it to her. "You might want to find a witchy way to hide that," he whispers. "They have an armory here, but ammo is pretty scarce."

  
"Noted."

  
"Is this all that you two brought?"

  
"That's it."

  
"We weren't exactly planning on uprooting our lives, so we packed light," Caroline adds, annoyed.

  
Ignoring the snark, Damon leads them to their new temporary home. He turns the unlocked knob and sets their bags down. “Pick a room. Get comfy. Get ready for dinner. Word on the street is Michonne made spaghetti."

  
“Is anyone else staying here?” Bonnie asks.

  
“Yeah," Caroline yells from one of the rooms upstairs. Bonnie hadn't even noticed that she had disappeared. "Do we really get this whole place to ourselves?” Damon leans against the front door, still noticeably tense. “It's yours for as long as you choose to stay. Rick will want to meet you when he gets back. Lucy made sure that everyone within a 50-mile radius knew that her cousin was out there doing great things.”

  
Bonnie shuffles uncomfortably. “Then maybe it’s best that we don’t overstay our welcome. What’s the story here? Why did they send out a search party for us?"

  
"I don't know, Bon. In case you missed it, I'm not exactly in the loop here."

  
Caroline screams, but before Bonnie can leap into action, she exclaims, “You guys have hot water! Bonnie, we're never leaving!”

  
Bonnie smiles at the sound of the shower running. After spending the majority of the day covered in zombie guts, her best friend had more than earned that shower. Releasing just a modicum of tension in her shoulders, Bonnie pulls her rifle strap over her head and sets it on the nearest couch. Damon watches, mystified, as Bonnie begins to disassemble the firearm with deft fingers, placing each piece on the coffee table with the utmost care.

  
He can't remember the last time he used a gun, considering that his body is a much deadlier weapon. Maybe during The War?  
Without thinking, Damon leans in and wipes a speckle of blood off her cheek. Bonnie's breath hitches. He appears to instantly regret the gesture as he flits away back to the front door.

  
“You should get cleaned up, too,” Damon whispers. “Michonne's spaghetti is da bomb dot com, as the kids say these days.” He shuffles awkwardly with the doorknob in his grip.

  
Bonnie reluctantly turns back to her work. “You're not going to tell me, are you?” she asks, voice heavy with disappointment.  
“Tell you what?”

  
“Why you didn't make her stay.”

  
As an immortal being, Damon's never looked as tired as he does when he says, “It's in the letter, Bon. You should already know.”

  
“Well, I don’t have the letter, but you're standing right here. What's so bad that you can't just tell me right here, right now? To my face.”

  
“Because it doesn't matter. I left. I didn’t keep her safe, and I have to live with that. This isn't your problem, Bon. It's mine.”

  
Bonnie's fingers still around the clip as she stands. “Let’s get one thing straight, she may have been the object of your affection for a few years, but she was my best friend for my entire goddamn life, so you don’t get to tell me how to mourn her. I didn't get to say goodbye, so don't you dare say that it doesn't matter."

  
"And that's tragic, but at least you have years' worth of happy memories to go back to. She and I had a few happy months. All the years before that consisted of me chasing her, and her trying to figure out if she wanted to be caught. Everything just went up in smoke. I can barely even remember what I was doing on the day that she died."

  
"What?"

  
"There are holes in my memory, Bon. There were holes in our relationship. I can't...Just get ready for dinner, okay."  
And with that final flustered statement, Damon vanishes. The door barely creaks in his wake.


End file.
